I would like to start by welcoming your address to Full Council and I hope that this will become a regular event and is not just another police flash in the pan never to be repeated.

As elected members are always keen to receive police updates and to have the opportunity to ask questions of senior officers as part of our wish to fight crime in partnership and raise concerns from our constituents.

Now if we go back twenty years to 2001 and the Oldham Riots, born from that was township policing the predecessor to neighbourhood policing.

Each ward had its own dedicated Community Beat Officer (CBO) and two Police Community Support Officers (PCSO), with response policing dealing with daily calls.  

The Community Beat Officers and Police Community Support Officers worked in partnership with the public, ward councillors, council officers and other professionals across a range of health, housing, social care, and mental health agencies to deliver true community policing and keep our communities safe and just as important feeling safe.

That was the solution then, and it worked, but this is sadly lacking now in its current form. 

It has been eroded and eroded to make up for staffing and financial shortfalls to the extent that there is now very little community focus and levels of engagement with councillors, the community and others is but a shadow of what it was.

The result is less confidence, and people regardless of the data, feel less safe and less confident in the community where they live.

The public want the reassurance of seeing uniformed Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers as a visible presence on their streets.

I know that we as elected members and many of our constituents want also to support the Police in the fight against crime, so how do you think we can return to this effective and visible method of policing to bring back public confidence in Greater Manchester Police within the Oldham Borough? 

And more specifically could you tell me what three things in local policing will have visibly improved for our residents in 12 months’ time?

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

3 November 2021

As the world’s leading politicians meet in Glasgow for the COP-26 conference to renew their commitments to address climate change, the Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling on Oldham Council to make some local commitments to reach Net Zero.

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Councillor Chris Gloster, who is the party’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, will be proposing an amendment to a motion at next Wednesday’s meeting of the Full Council (3 November) listing a series of measures that Oldham should commit to as an authority ‘ambitious to become a carbon neutral council by 2025 and a carbon neutral borough by 2030’.

Commenting Councillor Gloster said:  “The Liberal Democrats first called on the Council to declare a climate emergency in July 2019 and the Council subsequently adopted a new green plan for the borough.  We have made some progress, but we need to do more, and we need to do this more quickly, if we are to prevent the adverse impact of climate change becoming irreversible. As a local authority we need to lead by example, and 2025, and even 2030, are not long off.” 

The Liberal Democrats propose a series of actions that the Council, with its public and business partners, should seek to deliver to achieve its ambition; these are to:

• Deliver the town centre heat network proposals once the money is found.
• Support the development of other renewable energy and battery storage projects, either alone or with private or public sector partners and communities, within the borough.
• Reduce the carbon footprint of its estate and vehicle fleet by divesting itself of surplus or energy-inefficient properties, retrofitting existing buildings, investing in solar and other renewable technology to light and heat its estate, and replacing diesel-petrol powered vehicles with electric, hydrogen or hybrid models wherever possible.
• Retrofit all streetlamps over time with more efficient and less costly LED lights.
• Work with public and private sector partners to accelerate the provision of electric vehicle charging points across the borough.
• Deliver 20mph zones to reduce vehicle speed, increase public safety and improve air quality.
• Increase tree coverage in the borough by retaining existing trees and engaging in the extensive planting of new woodland, particularly of native variants.
• Work to make this authority single plastic-use free.
• Work with supermarket retailers to establish reverse vending machine sites in the borough.
• Establish new planning guidance under the Local Plan requiring developers to achieve higher standards of insulation, take account of the impact of heatwaves and flooding, provide for greater in-situ self-generation of power and heat (through renewable technologies), and make provision for on-site electric vehicle charging points.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Louie Hamblett will be seconding the amendment.

“Our amendment represents a practical ‘shopping list’ of actions. Liberal Democrats have raised these ideas previously in correspondence and in private meetings with the Administration, and in discussions at Council.

“The possibility of a town centre heat network plan was first suggested at a Council meeting by Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Sykes. Several have also been the subject of past motions we have brought to Council, such as becoming ‘single plastic use free’ and instituting 20mph zones. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does represent a way forward that is positive and achievable.”

Down load the posters to either deter trick or treaters or welcome them.

Oldham Liberal Democrats think a six year wait for the establishment of a national deposit return scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is too long, and Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the minister responsible to tell him so.

A deposit return, or reverse vending, scheme works through retailers charging customers a small deposit on cans, bottles and containers that can be recycled.   When the customer brings the empty container back to the retailer, they get their deposit back.

In 2018, the Conservative Government promised to introduce such a scheme, but in a consultation earlier this year the start date had been pushed back to 2024, two years after Scotland.

Councillor Sykes does not think this is good enough and he has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, asking him to use the forthcoming COP26 conference on the environment, to be held in Glasgow in November, to pledge to an earlier start date.

Councillor Sykes said:  “Deposit return schemes incentivise customers to recycle.  They have been in place in some countries in Continental Europe for decades, and in many European countries you would be hard pressed and unfortunate to find a discarded drink can or plastic bottle.  By paying people to bring them back, you avoid the rubbish that we so often see on our streets, in our parks and choking up our rivers.” 

“Establishing a national scheme would be a practical and common-sense measure to help our environment, and, if this government wants to be treated as credible at COP2, it is now time for ministers to stop prevaricating and get on with it.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have responded to a recent consultation on the draft heritage strategy for the South Pennines Park by calling for further measures to promote local culture, protect the natural and built environment, and grow the local economy in a sustainable way.  The deadline for responses is 29 October.

The South Pennines Park covers 460 square miles, including the Saddleworth district and Shaw, and stretches between the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

In their response, the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group call for action to:

• Promote local culture:  The Liberal Democrats want to see recognition of the  work of the Shaw and Crompton and Saddleworth Parish Councils in supporting traditional heritage activities (such as the annual rush cart festival, the ‘world-renowned’ brass band contests, and the celebration of Lancashire and Yorkshire Days) and a greater acknowledgement of the value of the Saddleworth Museum in Uppermill, with its ‘excellent and stimulating’ exhibits.

The Liberal Democrats also want to see established local arts and crafts centres or events for local artists and crafters to come together to collectively work, demonstrate (and pass on) their skills and market their products to the public.

They have also referenced the fact that Greenfield Station remains inaccessible for many people with disabilities or parents using pushchairs, meaning that many day-trippers still cannot access the beautiful Saddleworth villages or countryside by train.

• Protect the environment:  In their response, the Liberal Democrats call for the creation of ‘robust mechanisms’ involving multiple agencies working across local authority boundaries to address the continued and increasing threat to the natural and built environment resulting from climate change or human misbehaviour.

Risks cited include extreme weather events arising from global warming, such as drought, moorland fires and flooding; the pollution of local watercourses; the reckless use of portable barbecues on moorland, the shooting of birds of prey; and unregulated off-road motorcycling.

The Liberal Democrats are also greatly concerned at the threat posed to the Green Belt, protected open land and ancient and veteran woodlands by future housing and industrial development, particularly that proposed under the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone Plan.

• Growing the Local Economy:  In addition to more support for community artists and craftspeople, the Liberal Democrats want to see ‘Shop Local’ loyalty schemes to encourage local people and visitors to buy locally produced goods from locally owned (rather than national chain) stores and a network of artisan markets established to enable the sale of locally produced goods where producers cannot afford fixed premises.

Local farmers who wish to diversify may have accommodation to let to holidaymakers and may wish to combine this with ‘farm experiences’ for tourists.  The Liberal Democrats suggest that some way should be found to advertise this provision at a low or nil cost outside of the usual Airbnb route, and that an effort must be made to ensure that it is sustainable.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said:

“In our response, we focused on the need to protect the environment, whilst recognising the importance of promoting and celebrating our local heritage and growing our local economy sustainably to retain jobs and money in our local communities.  It is my hope that some or all of our practical ideas can be incorporated into the final strategy and I very much look forward to reading it.”

Attached is the Liberal Democrat formal submission

The South Pennines Park website can be found at:

HOME

The consultation on the heritage strategy can be found at:

A plan to sustain our South Pennine heritage

The Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the new Energy Minister asking him to pledge the government’s support for the Local Electricity Bill during COP26.

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  Here the participant nations will agree how to accelerate their actions to address climate change in accordance with their commitments as signatories to the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Councillor Sykes and his Liberal Democrat colleagues wants the new minister, The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently going through Parliament, as a government priority.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:   “We would like the UK Government to make this pledge as one of this nation’s commitments during COP26.  Locally generated power created through renewable technologies and supplied to local consumers must be one of our actions if we are to work successfully towards net zero.  But, in order to do this, we must reduce the cost and eliminate the bureaucracy that local energy producers face when entering the energy market.   The Local Electricity Bill will do this by creating a new Right of Local Supply so that community energy co-operatives can compete; this really will be power for the people.”

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/

Paying home and business owners in flood areas grants up-front to make their properties ‘resilient’ is “common-sense and will save a lot of heartache” claims Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani.

Homes in Shaw and Saddleworth have previously been flooded, and with climate change resulting in warmer and wetter weather there is an increased likelihood of further flooding in future years. 

Councillor Al-Hamdani and his Oldham and Saddleworth Liberal Democrat councillors want to see the government do more to support home and business owners living with the risk by paying grants up-front rather than after disaster has befallen them, and they are bringing the issue as a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021).

Commenting, Saddleworth West and Lees councillor Al-Hamdani, who is proposing the motion, said:  “It is common-sense to pay property owners money up-front to make their homes and business premises ‘flood resilient’, rather than paying them afterwards when they are faced with building repairs, the replacement of lost or damaged personal effects, and an enormous clean-up.  All the evidence shows this would not only save flood victims a lot of heartache, but it will also save the public a lot of money in the longer-term.”

Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, who is backing his colleague, added:  “We are also asking the Council to make local residents living in flood-risk areas aware of the services offered to property owners by the campaigning group ‘Know Your Flood Risk’.  The group produces several useful booklets identifying the risks and the actions people can take in advance of a flood and offers property owners individual flood risk assessments.”

The motion to the Council meeting November 3, 2021 reads:

Motion – Future proofing our properties from flooding

Council notes that:

• Climate change will result in more incidents of flooding in the UK.
• The disaster relief charity ShelterBox estimated 5 million UK homes could be at risk of flooding by 2040.
• Properties in Shaw and Saddleworth have historically been flooded.
• It is becoming increasingly difficult to build defences capable of protecting all properties at risk of flooding. 
• The campaign group ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ is calling upon central Government to make grants available to homeowners and small business owners in flood risk areas to make their properties ‘flood resilient’.
• Flood resilience means designing, building, and adapting properties such that if they are inundated, they can be made liveable again within days or weeks. This can involve actions such as rendering indoor walls, relaying flooring in water-proof materials or raising kitchen units.
• Victims of major floods are eligible for £5,000 support after the event, but Council believes that a more sensible approach would be to provide grant aid in advance to homeowners and small business owners to help make their properties flood resilient and that this would reduce the long-term cost to the public purse. Such a proposal has the support of the National Flood Forum and the Royal Institute of British Architects.
• ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ also publishes online guidance for local authorities and home and business owners and offers individual flood risk surveys for property owners. 

Council resolves to:

• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs requesting the Minister look to introduce grant aid to homeowners and small business owners in areas of flood risk to facilitate flood resilience work.
• Ask the Chief Executive to copy in our three local MPs, the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Clerks of the Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton Parish Councils asking for their support.
• Ask the relevant Cabinet Member and Chief Officer to ensure that information about the offer to residents and small business owners of the campaign group ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ is posted, with links, on the Council’s website, and make a request to the Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton Parish Councils to do the same.

Proposed by:                                                                 Seconded by:

Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani                                            Councillor Chris Gloster

The campaigning group ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ can be found at https://www.landmark.co.uk/products/know-your-flood-risk/

Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling for the UK Government to do more to improve the water quality of Britain’s rivers as one of their commitments at the upcoming COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.

Crompton Councillor Dave Murphy and Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021) highlighting the urgent need for action, after discovering that the borough’s watercourses all failed recent tests for chemical pollution carried out by the Environment Agency and that the rivers Irk and Tame are under real threat.

Proposer of the motion, Councillor Murphy said:  “It is shocking that in 2019 only 14% of England’s rivers were rated ‘good’ by the Environment Agency, despite Conservative Government promises to improve the quality of watercourses over time.  Poorer water quality has an adverse impact upon the aquatic, bird and insect life that inhabits our watercourses and the humans who visit them for recreational purposes.”

“The damage is caused by the run-off of nutrients from farms and raw sewerage discharged water companies, and the rivers Irk and Tame are cited as being particularly in danger, but government funding to enable the Environment Agency to monitor and check these activities has been cut by 75% in the last decade.”

Seconding the motion, Councillor Hazel Gloster added:  “Not only do we want the Environment Agency’s budget to be restored to enable it to effectively identify and prosecute offenders, but we want the National Farmers’ Union and United Utilities to account for the actions of those members and employees who engage in polluting activities and tell us what they are doing to make things right.”

Concluding Councillor Murphy said:  “The COP26 conference in Glasgow will focus the world’s attention on what the UK is doing, or is pledged to do, to address climate change and the impact of mankind’s activities on the natural world.  As one of those commitments, we want the UK Government to clean up Britain’s rivers so we can all continue to enjoy them”.

The motion to the Council on 3^rd November 2021 reads:

Motion – Save Our Rivers

This Council notes that:

• Every river in England is now polluted beyond legal limits; with the Environment Agency rating only 14% as Good in 2019.
• Our local rivers, the Beal, Irk, Medlock, and Tame all failed the most recent test for chemical pollution carried out by the agency.
• This chemical pollution is mostly caused by sewage discharges from water companies and the run-offs of nutrients from farms.
• The Rivers Irk and Tame are particularly threatened by further sewage-water discharges.
• Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality and regulate farms and water companies has dropped 75% since 2010/11.
• Farms are now almost never inspected, water quality is rarely tested, and water companies can pump raw sewage into rivers with virtual impunity.
• In addition, tyre rubber particles, metals from brake pads, and hydrocarbons from vehicle emissions, wash off road surfaces and into rivers, endangering wildlife and potentially introducing carcinogenic material into the water supply.

Council believes that, as host nation of COP-26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021, the UK Government should commit to:

• Restoring Environment Agency budgets
• Increasing inspections of water companies and farms, and rigorously prosecuting offenders.
• Funding local and highways authorities to introduce treatment systems to prevent road pollutants from entering our water courses.

Council resolves to request the Chief Executive write to:

• The Environment Minister calling for the Government to make these commitments as host nation of COP-26.
• The Chief Executive of United Utilities calling for further urgent action to address the impact of waste-water discharges on our local rivers, particularly the Irk and Tame.
• The Regional Director of the National Farmers’ Union requesting clarification on the action being taken locally by farmers to prevent the run-off of nutrients into our rivers.
• The charity River Action expressing this Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.

With our three MPs to be copied into this correspondence and asked for their support.

Proposed by:                                                                Seconded by:

Councillor Dave Murphy                                                Councillor Hazel Gloster